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HESPERIA, Calif. — Drivers traveling to California on I-15 may encounter delays Tuesday.
A portion of I-15 was closed after a fire caused a bridge to collapse on the interstate Monday, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Crews are working to suppress the fire and clear the interstate by demolishing the remains of the bridge, they said.
The northbound lanes of I-15 may be able to reopen at around 4 p.m. Tuesday, officials said. They estimated the complete demolition of the bridge could take 24 to 48 hours.
The fire department said it received multiple reports of a fire at the Ranchero Road over-crossing on I-15 in Hesperia, a city near San Bernardino, at about 1:30 p.m. Monday. The bridge was under construction at the time of the fire, investigators said.
The north and southbound lanes of I-15 were closed for commuter safety after the firefighters arrived and discovered a well-established fire that carried across the entire bridge project, according to the fire department. They said efforts to put out the fire were hampered by weather conditions.
"Falling debris and ongoing collapses prevented crews from fighting the fire from beneath the structure," a statement from the fire department reads. "Once personnel pulled back out of the collapse zone, constant winds of 25 mph with 35 mph gusts kept hose streams from penetrating deep into the bridge and to the seat of the fire. These same winds contributed to the quick spread as flames were pushed through the construction area much like a wildland environment."
Investigators said the fire was caused by a rebar-cutting operation that was part of the construction project. Blowtorches carried fire into the falsework of the bridge and initial efforts to extinguish the flames were unsuccessful because of the high wind, they said.
While I-15 is closed, drivers traveling in both directions are being taken off of the interstate at the Ranchero exits and put back on at the Ranchero on-ramps, according to the fire department.
